AutoCAD

AutoCad Basic Tutorial

Launching AutoCad 1. Start 2. 3D and CAD 3. AutoCad

Typing Commands Typing a Command All AutoCAD commands can be typed in at the command line. Many commands also have one or two letter aliases that can also be typed as shortcuts to the commands. 1. Type the desired command at the command prompt. Command : LINE or 2. Type the command’s alias. Command: L 3. Press ENTER/Space to end. 4. Type an option at the command prompt.

TIP: Many AutoCAD commands require you to press ENTER to complete the command. You know you are no longer in an AutoCAD command when you see a blank command line.

Reissuing the Last Command The last used AutoCAD command can be re-entered by one of the following three methods of ENTER. The ENTER key on the keyboard will always act as ENTER, the SPACEBAR and RIGHT MOUSE will act as enter most of the time (exceptions include placing TEXT). 1. Press the ENTER key on the keyboard or 2. Press the Space bar on the keyboard. or 3. Click the right mouse button.

Pointing Device (Mouse) AutoCAD uses either a mouse or digitizing tablet to select objects in a drawing. Left Mouse Button Used to pick or select objects 1. Click the left mouse button to select an object area in the drawing. 2. Press ESC twice to deselect an object (or to cancel a command). Right Mouse Button Used to enter a command, repeat last command, or access shortcut menus. 1. Click the right mouse button.

TIPS: • SHIFT + the right mouse button brings up the object snap menus. • Various screen locations for the mouse brings up different menus.• menus.

5.2 PAN Shifts the location of a view. 1.

Choose

View, Pan. or

2.

Click

the Pan icon. or

3.

Type

PAN from the command prompt. Command: PAN or P

TIPS: -

While in the PAN command, click with the right mouse button to see the following menu.

-

Panning can also be done by using the window scroll bars

5.1 ZOOM Increases or decreases the apparent size of objects in the current viewport 1.

Choose

View, Zoom. or

2.

Click

a Zoom icon. or

3.

Type

ZOOM at the command prompt. Command: Zoom or Z

4.

Type

One of the following zoom options:

The following are basic zoom options: All

Places entire drawing (all visible layers) on display at once. Forces a regeneration.

Extents

Displays current drawing content as large as possible.

Previous

Restores previous view.

Window

Designates rectangular area to be drawn as large as possible.

Number

Magnification relative to ZOOM All display

Number X

Magnification relative to current display (1X)

Center

Specifies center point and new display height.

Dynamic

Permits you to pan a box representing the viewing screen around the entire generated portion of the drawing and enlarge or shrink it.

TIPS: -While in the ZOOM command, click with the right mouse button to see the menu to the right.

2.2 Creating a New Drawing NEW Command Creates a new drawing file. 1.

Choose

File, New. or

2.

Press

CTRL + N or

3.

Click

the New icon. or

4.

Type

NEW at the Command prompt. Command: NEW

5.

Choose

One of the options for creating a new drawing.

6.

Click

The OK button.

7.

Save

the drawing as another name.

TIP: New drawings can also be created from Template Files.

1.11 Undo and Redo Reverses the last action. 1.

Choose Edit, Undo. or

2.

Click the Undo icon. or

3.

Press CTRL + Z.

4.

Type U at the command prompt to undo the last command. Command: U

Redo Reverses the effects of a single UNDO or U command. 1.

Choose Edit, Redo. or

2.

Click the Redo icon. or

3.

Type REDO at the command prompt to redo the last undo command. Command: REDO

TIPS: -UNDO has no effect on some commands and system variables, including those that open, close, or save a window or a drawing, display information, change the graphics display, regenerate the drawing, or export the drawing in a different format.

-REDO must immediately follow the U or UNDO command.

1.12 Function Keys and Accelerator Keys

2.1 Open Existing Drawings 1.

Choose

File, OPEN. or

2.

Press

CTRL + O. or

3.

Click

the OPEN icon. or

4.

Type

OPEN at the command prompt. Command: OPEN

5.

Press

ENTER

6.

Double Click

the desired directory to find the drawing to open.

7.

Click

the drawing name to open.

8.

Click

The OK button.

TIP: -Preview shows a bitmap image of the drawing selected. This image is the view that was last saved in the drawing. It will not show a preview of drawings saved before R13 AutoCAD.

Quick Save The QSAVE command is equivalent to clicking Save on the File menu. If the drawing is named, AutoCAD saves the drawing using the file format specified on the Open and Save tab of the Options dialog box and does not request a file name. If the drawing is unnamed, AutoCAD displays the Save Drawing As dialog box (see SAVEAS) and saves the drawing with the file name and format you specify. 1.

Press

CTRL + S. or

2.

Click

the Save icon. or

3.

Type

QSAVE at the command prompt, Command:QSAVE

TIPS: Drawings can be saved as different versions of AutoCAD (e.g. R13, R14, R 2000, etc.)

AutoSave settings under Tools, Options…

Useful Commands

7.1 Running Object Snaps An object snap mode specifies a snap point at an exact location on an object. OSNAP specifies running object snap modes, which remain active until you turn them off. 1.

Choose

Tools, Drafting Settings... or

2.

Type

DDOSNAP at the command prompt Command: DDOSNAP or

3.

Click

OSNAP on the Status Bar.

4.

Right Click the Object Snap TAB.

5.

Choose

an object snap to turn ON/OFF from the dialog box.

AutoCAD 2D Tutorial UNITS Command 8.5 1.

Choose

Format, Units... or

2.

Type

DDUNITS at the command prompt. Command: DDUNITS or UN

3.

Choose

a units and angle setting.

4.

Choose

a precision setting.

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3.1 Line Command Creates single straight line segments 1.

Choose

Draw, Line. or

2.

Click

the Line icon. or

3.

Type

LINE from the command prompt Command: LINE or L

4.

Press

ENTER

5.

Pick

From point: (point)

6.

Pick

Specify next point or [Close/Undo]:(point)

7.

Pick

Specify next point or [Close/Undo]:(point)

8.

Press

ENTER to end line sequence or

9.

Type

U to undo the last segment To point: U (undo) or

10.

Type

C to create a closed polygon To point : C (close)

TIPS: • You can continue the previous line or arc by responding to the From point: prompt with a space or ENTER. • Choose the right mouse button for the line pop-up menu to appear while in the line command

AutoCAD 2D Tutorial Pline Command 15.1 A polyline is a connected sequence of line segments created as a single object. You can create straight line segments, arc segments, or a combination of the two. 1.

Choose

Draw, Polyline. or

2.

Pick

the Pline icon.

3.

Type

PLINE at the command prompt Command : PLINE or PL

4.

Pick

A point on the drawing to start the polyline From point:(select)

5.

Type

One of the following options Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width/: or

6.

Pick

A point to continue drawing Arc/Close/Halfwidth/Length/Undo/Width/: (pick point)

Polyline as one segment

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3.4 Orthogonal Lines Controls lines from being drawn at various angles to straight lines. When the snap grid is rotated, ortho mode rotates accordingly.

1.

Press

Function Key F8. or

2.

Double Click

ORTHO from the Status Bar. or

3.

Line drawn with ORTHO ON

Press

CTRL + L.

Line drawn with ORTHO OFF

AutoCAD 2D Tutorial Rectangle 16.2 1.

Choose

Draw, Rectangle. or

2.

Click

the Rectangle icon. or

3.

Type

Rectang at the command prompt Command: RECTANG Chamfer/Elevation/Fillet/Thickness/Width/ :

4.

Pick

first corner.

5.

Pick

other corner or type coordinates (i.e. @4,2).

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3.6 Circles Circle Command 1.

Choose

Circle, Center Radius

Draw, Circle. or

2.

Click

the Circle icon. or

3.

Type

CIRCLE at the command prompt. Command: CIRCLE

4.

Type

Circle, Center Diameter

One of the following options: 3P/2P/TTR/: or

5.

Pick

A center point.

6.

Type

A radius or diameter. or

7.

Pick

A radius or diameter

Circle, Tangent, Tangent Radius

Diameter/:

TIPS: - To create circles that are the same size, press ENTER when asked for the circle radius. - When selecting a circle with a pickbox, be sure to select the circumference of the circle.

Circle, Tangent, Tangent, Tangent

3.7 Arc Command 1.

Choose

Draw, Arc. or

2.

Click

the Arc icon. or

3.

Type

ARC at the command prompt Command: ARC

4.

Draw

One of the arcs.

TIPS: -Except for 3 point arcs, arcs are drawn in a COUNTERCLOCKWISE direction. - While in the arc command, press the right mouse button to select the following options for arcs:

Arc Examples 3 point arc

Start ,center, chord length

start, center, end

Start, end, radius

Start , center, included angle

Start, end, direction

AutoCAD 2D Tutorial Spline 16.3 The SPLINE command creates a particular type of spline known as a nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) curve. A NURBS curve produces a smooth curve between control points

1.

Choose

Draw, Spline. or

2.

Click

the Spline icon. or

3.

Type

SPLINE at the command prompt Command: SPLINE

4.

Pick

A start point for the spline Object / : (pick point)

5.

Pick

Points until youare done drawing splines Enter point:(pick points)

6.

Press

Enter or close to complete the spline

7.

Pick

Starting tangent point for the spline Enter start tangent (pick point)

8.

Pick

Ending tangent point for the spline Enter end tangent: (pick point)

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Editing

AutoCAD 2D Tutorial Editing Polylines 15.2 1.

Choose

Modify, Polyline. or

2.

Pick

the Pedit icon from the Modify II toolbar.

3.

Type

PEDIT at the comma nd prompt Command: PEDIT

4.

Pick

Pick a polyline to edit Select Polyline:(pick)

5.

Type

One of the following options:Close/Join/ Width/Edit vertex/FitCurve/Spline/Curve/ Decurve/Undo/eXit

PEDIT options: Close

Closes open polyline segments

Join

Connects polylines, lines, and arcs to existing polylines.

Width

Changes the width for all polyline segments.

Fit curve

Creates curved arc segments around pline vertices at the direction you specify.

Spline Curve

Creates a curve through control points on a polyline.

Decurve

Straightens curved segments.

Edit Vertex

Displays the following Edit Vertex Options:

Polyline width change

Splined Polyline

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AutoCAD 2D Tutorial Move Command 10.1 1.

Choose

Modify, Move. or

2.

Click

the Move icon. or

3.

Type

MOVE at the command prompt Command: MOVE or M

4.

Pick

Objects to move Select objects: (select)

5.

Pick

A point to move from Base point or displacement: (pick point)

6.

Pick

A point to move to Second point of displacement: (pick point)

Circle before move

Circle after move

TIP: To move an object a specified distance, type a distance at the second point of displacement prompt: @1